Joseph paektstson



J. PARKINSON.

, I .7 RAILWAY GAR. No. 279,791. Patented June 19,1883.

VGITNESSES: d INVENTOR: I

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JOSEPH PARKINSON, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

RAILWAY-CA R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,791 dated June 19, 1883.

Application filed April 27, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, J OSEPH PARKINSON, of Danville, in the county of Pittsylvania' and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad Passenger- Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view ofapassenger-car with its middle portion broken away to show the interiorview of one of the side doors. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the car through the side doors, showing the latter open and Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the side doors, on a larger scale, showing the door closed.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for escape from a railway-car other than the usual end doors. In the event of a collision between trains the telescoping of the cars" and the abutting timbers at the ends of carsusually obstruct the exit by the end doors; and in the case of fire the occupants frequently perish for want of some other ready means of egress.

With a view to supplying such other means of escape, my invention consists in combining with one or more side doors peculiar means for holding them' normally closed and fastened, and for facilitating escape by said doors if the cars should be standing on a bridge or on a declivity, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, A represents a car equipped with my improvements.

B is the side door, of which there is one on each side, and which open on the sides anywhere in the length of the car. This door opens outwardly, and is hinged at the bottom, so as to drop down as a gang-plank. To hold this door closed in a firmly-secured position against accidental opening and against chattering from the vibration of the car, a plate, O, is fastened to the upper inside portion of the ear, and to it is hinged a section, 0, in which is swiveled a stout screw, D, having inside the car a hand-wheel, E, or crank attached thereto. This screw is adapted to pass into an interiorly-threaded nut, (t, fixed to the door, and is turned into and out of the same by the hand-wheel. For holding the hinged (No model.)

I plate 0 up when the side door is open, springs s 8 may be arranged upon the sides, as shown.

F F are ropes fastened to suitable points of attachment inside of the car, and laced through eyes I) b on the door, whereby the doors may belowered gradually without slamming, and which ropes are made long enough to assist the occupants in descending from the car in case the latter should stand on a bridge or over a ravine.

In locating the door it may be placed between the seats, so as not to compel a sacrifice of any of the seats, and said door may be finished as a panel to correspond with the uniform interior finish of the car. plate and hand-wheel may also be plated or finished in keeping with the other appointments, so as not to present an unsightly appearance.

As shown, the door is hinged at the bottom andarranged to drop outwardly, and this arrangement I prefer, as the door then acts as a gang-plank; but I do not confine myself to that arrangement, as I may hinge the door upon its side or top and arrange it to swing inwardly, if desired.

. My invention presents the advantages of great simplicity, 'so that any person without previous instruction can operate it, and still the fastening is such as to provide ample security against accidental opening, and also prevents all looseness and chattering; and on the hand-wheel may be placed instructions to the passengers as to its use and how operated. Furthermore, there is nothing to get out of order, and its application involves no radical change in the construction of the car.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with a railroad passenger-car, of a side door having a screw'nut or socket therein, and a hinged plate or frame bearing a screw and hand wheel or crank for securing the door, substantially as shown and describd.-

2. The combination, with the railway passen er-car having a side door, of the ropes F F, as and for the purpose described.

JOSEPH PARKINSON. Vitnesses:

'CHAs. A. PETTIT,

SoLoN O. KEMoN.

The hinge-- 

